#S:AC Lucens

[ardent-convergence]

Lucenia ignores her manager, Laux, who shrieks, “SHOCKING! Lucenia Ryen’s dark alley dealings! Secret modelling project or black-market purchase?!!”

Laux had been grinding his teeth, face scalding red and fuming in anger for the past few minutes while reading gossip on the projected screens of their tablet as they followed her inside her penthouse. Lucenia rolls her eyes at Laux, her designer heels clicking softly on the polished marble flooring as she makes her way towards the plush and custom-made sofa in her spacious living room.

“Lucenia Ryen, top model and celebrity, the epitome of grace and beauty on screens across the OASIS returns from her long hiatus but finds herself at the epicentre of shocking news, leaving fans and followers on the edge of their virtual seats! Caught in an incriminating situation by the paparazzi, her sudden disappearance from the limelight only fueled the rumour mill. Was she taking time off for a secret project, as some speculated? Or had she ventured into the murky waters of the black-market underworld, as the pictures of her in one of NLC’s dark alleyways exchanging credits for a mysterious briefcase would have us believe?”

“Laux,” Lucenia warned her manager. She sat down and massaged her temples, sick of her manager’s incessant ramblings.

Laux glanced at her but ignored her warning and continued, “These gossips are turning to conspiracy theories! Listen to this Lucenia, one of them says that you’re a doll created to control your fans and gain public sway for politicians in the upcoming representative selections. Another one is saying you’re part of a secret society or organisation! This is ridiculous.”

“Laux! Drop it, please!” Lucenia had stopped unclipping the intricate jewellery that adorned her neck and wrists before glaring daggers at her manager.

Laux breathed in sharply, offended that the rising star they managed seemed wholly unbothered by the absurd tattle tales that cling to her like flies to a cow’s faeces, “Fine. You can go rest now. I’ll come back tomorrow to pick you up for the interview with the HyperLoop.”

She shoves Laux towards the exit, “Yes, yes. Okay, leave now, please!”

Lucenia waves goodbye to Laux as they enter the lift to finally leave her alone.  She then promptly locks the heavily soundproofed doors to her apartment, the metallic clunk echoing in the spacious area. She closes any open windows within her home, each sharp click of the locks reverberating through the furnishings of her residence. She moved swiftly through the expansive living room, her fingertips lightly grazing the curtains that were thick enough to block out any neon lights and prying eyes from the cityscape beyond, the closed curtains and dim lighting cast a comfortable and velvety darkness around her.

She reached the bathroom, the lights dimmed to a soft glow that created dancing shadows on the pristine tiles. Her heart raced like a drumbeat in her chest, its rhythm filling the silence. She unbuttoned and unclasped any remaining clothing on her, her porcelain skin and lilac locks reflected clearly in the bathroom mirror, every curve of her body, every beauty mark and every part she wanted to keep hidden suddenly becoming a source of unease. Her fingers quivered as they brushed the mirrored cabinets, and she couldn't help but wonder if hidden cameras lurked behind the sleek glass surfaces, capturing her every move. The faint hum of the air filtering system became suffocating, like an ominous background drone conspiring against her, just as the relentless fuzzy clicking of camera shutters and blinding spotlights.

Lucenia takes a deep breath before dipping a toe into the warm waters of her bathtub and fully immersing herself in her lavender-scented bath, the fragrant bubbles and dim ambient light enveloping her like a comforting shroud. As she closed her eyes and allowed her body to relax, her mind inevitably drifted toward the relentless rumours that had circled her like a swarm of voracious bugs. The fear of being constantly watched, the grim feeling that her private sanctuary had been violated, never left her. Her gaze raced about the bathroom, briefly pausing to look and inspect the cabinets, spare towels, her bathrobe and even her reflection in the mirrors. Her perfect and gleaming milky skin had graced the pages of innumerable magazines. Her violet hair cascaded like opulent fabrics billowing in the cool breeze of a summer coming-of-age film. But her adored pale blue eyes veiled indescribable despair and stress. And yet, in the eyes of the world, she was still the most beautiful among the lovely and always perfect Ryens.

As her fame was established, Lucenia learned that everyone who is famous is subjected to their fair share of controversies and gossip. She also heard some allegations about her dating a painter before she took some time off the limelight, which she finds amusing and unserious. But these new ones, the ones Laux droned on about and she attempted to ignore, she didn't know what to make of it, because, for the most part, it's true.

Yes, she had engaged in that shady transaction in the alleyway, but it had been far from illegal based on the Pax Astra Confederation Alliance Laws. It had been a meticulous effort, a web of connections and favours, to acquire the ‘mysterious briefcase’, but not illegal. The purpose? A secret project of her own, though one far more personal and innocuous than the rumours suggested. One, she, and many of her kind, vowed to never reveal to the general public.

The contents of the briefcase, were, in essence, replacement parts, one that would mend an internal damage that had been plaguing her mechanical and inhuman insides for far too long. Her hiatus from the public eye had partly been a result of her quest to find someone skilled enough to perform the operation for her. She had tried to call Neo and ask for her help, but Neo was too much of a recluse to ever be reliable. 

Lucenia emerges from her bathtub and dries herself with a towel. A repeating fleeting notion crossed her mind, an intuition that the privacy of her safe sanctuary had been defiled. She dismissed it as paranoia and thought that was all it was; paranoia she developed as her reputation grew. She tries to shrug off the feeling by jabbing at the holographic keypad on her wristband, initiating a video call with Neo. One last try to get Neo’s help wouldn’t hurt.

She waited impatiently as the call connected, the screen flickering to life to reveal Neo's trash-cluttered and dimly lit apartment room. Tacky posters covered Neo’s walls, their vivid colours clashing with the dim lighting. Empty energy drink cans and piles of dirty laundry blocked Lucenia’s view during their call. The sounds of what Lucenia guessed as laser beams and explosions echoed in the background as Neo had her back to the call, too focused on her game to even look at who was calling her.

“Neo?” she calls out, her voice tinged with a mix of irritation and desperation.

Neo did not immediately answer. Instead, Lucenia could hear her grumbling, her attention clearly divided between the game and the call. Finally, Neo turned her head to focus on the call after the words ‘DEFEAT’ glared at Neo and tinted her room red.

“What do you want, Lucy?” She asks, her voice lacking any semblance of warmth or concern for her own kin.

Lucenia hesitated for a moment, searching for the right words. "I need your help with–"

Neo cut her short, “Wait, no! I don’t wanna hear it! My game is starting again! Whatever it is, do it yourself!” She abruptly ends the video call, leaving Lucenia to stare blankly at the disconnected call.

Lucenia pouts and screams, “Fine then. I’ll do it myself!”

She curses Neo and lets out an exasperated breath, her shoulders slumping in defeat. This is why Neo is never reliable, her number one priority always seemed to be that stupid game of hers.

She then scans her body and opens the secret compartment in her left thigh to check the damaged part. She was determined to take matters into her own hands. But Lucenia knew she wasn't an expert in cybernetic and chromogenic surgery, far from it. In theory, it shouldn’t take rocket science to fix, but knowing herself, it could get messy. Her hands, smooth and dainty, never once in her life used for any heavy labour or intricate operations, would be clumsy in handling circuitry and wirings. The thought of opening herself up to tinker with her own internal workings sent shivers down her spine. She knew the risks, the mess she might create, but she couldn't delay any longer. It would be too annoying trying to walk it off for too long, and the media would catch on quickly, unearthing every secret she buried deep inside of her.

With a trembling hand, Lucenia retrieved the gossiped briefcase from its hidden compartment underneath the cabinets. She carefully placed it on the bathroom counter, the metallic surface gleaming ominously under the dim bathroom lights. She fetched a small toolkit from another drawer, its instruments designed for precision and delicacy, as well as several mirrors to help her see at better angles. She couldn't afford any mistakes; this was her own body, and her own career, her own existence was at stake. The bathroom, once a temple of tranquillity, is now a makeshift operating theatre, and she was the main actor, starring as both Surgeon and Patient. Her imaginary audience watched with bated breath, anticipating her next moves.

As she opened the briefcase, Lucenia glanced at each array of tools and components inside it. She only vaguely knew what purpose each of the delicate instruments had, but decided to take a gamble. Her fingers stiffened as she selected a set of screwdrivers, her breath shallow but controlled, a mix of suspense and dread looming over her. Her serious and fierce facial expression which was often celebrated and applauded on the runways and movie screens was marred with sweat beads and anxiety. She bit her lip to hold back a scream, her heart thumping wildly in her chest.

She began the dismantling procedure with extreme caution. A horrified cry escaped her lips as the first incision tore through her flawless skin. Doubt and fear gnawed at her, but she couldn't turn back now. Each following incision sent shockwaves of pain through her, and she couldn't help but let out a strangled cry, her eyes filling with tears. Suppressing her vomit as she felt the sharp stings, Lucenia unhitched the compartment's clasp, showing the complex network of circuitry beneath her once unblemished thigh. Her every was move accompanied by the soft click of loosening screws and the occasional whispered curse as a tiny piece threatened to escape her flimsy grasp. 

As she disconnected a minuscule wire, a bead of iridescent liquid, the lifeblood of her body, trickled from the severed connection, its shimmering essence capturing the ambient light. Panic surged through her as a few more drops splattered onto the marbled bathroom tiles, forming an eerie pool of chalcedony-coloured substance. Through her now ragged and uncontrolled breathing, she could make out the scent of lavender that still lingered in the air which was now mixed with the metallic tang of her precious ichor.

Lucenia’s breaths quickened and groaned, the bathroom was in disarray and the surgical tools clattered to the ground. She never came with any instruction manuals when she was adopted by the Ryens, and there never would be any visual tutorials on the internet that would help her with her exact problem. The only guidance for this intimate act of self-repair she can rely on are the vague instincts and hazy memories of her days back at the Hatchery. None of which are fail-safe nor pleasing to remember.

Lucenia's hypothetical audience held their breath alongside her, their presence camouflaged far more efficiently than she could have ever believed or wanted. She was completely unaware of the subtle witnesses, the unseen eyes that watched her every step through a pin-sized gap concealed within the mirror's exquisite frame, fitting in perfectly with its spotless surface, as she immersed herself in her role as both Surgeon and Patient in her private theatre.

Lucenia catches a glimpse of herself as she adjusts the mirrors to get a different angle of herself, her eyes lingering on the mirrors for a moment longer than usual. Like her audience, she became conscious of her every movement. Her bare model body was sitting on the soaked carpet of the bathroom floor, trails of her blood dripped down her thighs and soiled her ceramic skin, her violet hair had become frizzy and tangled some time while she was tinkering, and her soft blue eyes faintly reflected her chalcedony gore.

[ardent-convergence]

SHOCKING: Lucenia Ryen’s dark alley dealings! Secret modelling project or black-market purchase?

By StardustFeverXOXO | 251st Roshane Moon

NLC, OASIS - Brace yourselves, folks, because in a shocking turn of events, the NLC's beloved darling, Lucenia Ryen, has found herself in the centre of a scandalous storm!

Talks of the top model and actor/celebrity fainting on set had circulated before, and she has not made a public appearance since her debut rom-com film, 'Don't Call It Love!' was released. Since her unexplained hiatus, the rumours began to swirl, saying she might have a terminal illness or that she had an argument with her family and is now under house arrest. Other stories seem less likely but equally bizarre, saying she has another identity or is part of a secret organisation. But it was a chance encounter with a fan that thrust her into the merciless clutches of gossip.

Lucenia Ryen, often debated as the most beautiful among the Ryen family, known for their perfection, and hailed as the pinnacle of elegance and beauty across the OASIS, was spotted hurrying past an adoring fan. The fan could not resist the temptation to snap a picture of Ryen, fearing that this might be the only chance they see her as her hiatus has yet to officially end. What started as a seemingly ordinary encounter with an ardent fan has now erupted into a sensational drama as the photograph spread like wildfire online.

The snapshot captured Ryen, exchanging an undisclosed amount of credits for a mysterious briefcase in the dimly lit alleys of Rommium Lane. The moment has been shared and reshared across countless social media platforms, fuelling rampant speculation about the star's hidden agenda.

Ryen's ominous silence has only intensified the flames of curiosity, driving her legion of fans and relentless critics into a frenzy. The burning question on everyone's lips: What is Lucenia Ryen doing behind closed doors when no one is watching? Is this a covert operation for a groundbreaking project that could redefine virtual entertainment as we know it? Or has the beloved star ventured into the treacherous underbelly of the OASIS, embroiled in activities that could jeopardise the pristine reputation of her family?

In true StardustFeverXOXO fashion, we're here to plunge headfirst into the shadowy depths of this mesmerising mystery. We'll uncover every sordid detail and private connection that could explain Lucenia Ryen's shocking alleyway rendezvous. Stay tuned, dear readers, as we peel back the layers of intrigue in this sensational saga and prepare for revelations that could forever alter the course of Lucenia's glittering career!

One thing's for sure: Our city's glittering facade hides more secrets than ever, and Lucenia Ryen's name is now synonymous with enigma.